Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent. ghent museum of fine arts museum of fine arts in ghent belgium

The art museum in Ghent is quite modest, it is difficult for him to compete with Brussels or Antwerp, but the museum is very pleasant, along with the old masters, it has many paintings and sketches on the topic Everyday life in Flanders.

There is a beautiful park next to the museum.

With an artificial waterfall...

And waterfowl, a real heron

The square is a popular spot for wedding photographers.

Waving to this cute couple, we go to the museum.

The museum is characterized by open, airy spaces, as in this hall of sculptures

Most likely, some of the sculptures just went to exhibitions, but the result was very cool

Each of the sculptures occupies its own space and makes it possible to enjoy only it, without being distracted by the rest.

Auguste Rodin, Head of Pierre de Wissant

The head of one of the members of the famous sculptural group "Citizens of Calais".

Ghent was one of several museums that tried to get their hands on Rodin's masterpiece, but it lost out in the fight against eminent competitors. The French government passed a law that allowed no more than 12 castings of any work by Rodin to be made. Magic number 12 decreased slowly as shagreen leather. The last, twelfth cast of Citizens of Calais was installed in Seoul in 1995. The cast of the head of Pierre de Wissan was made by Rodin and his students on an enlarged scale and is very impressive.

Ghent is the city of the Northern Renaissance and Van Eyck, its famous altar is calling card cities.

Look at these cute children's drawings, who knows, maybe the future Van Eycks also took part in this


Old masters

Rogier van der Weyden, or rather one of his students, Madonna with a Carnation, 1480

Scenes from the life of Christ, Master of the Wenemaertriptych, 1480.

Tapestry Hall

Pieter Brueghel the Elder, A wedding dance, 1566

An undisputed decoration of the collection, Hieronymus Bosch, Carrying the Cross

Hendrik Leys, Albrecht Dürer in Antwerp

Dürer was in Ghent, the fame of the famous altar spread throughout Europe, and many artists specially traveled to Ghent to touch the magic of Van Eyck's masterpiece.

Museum visitors can observe the restoration process, they ask not to take pictures, but we are careful

And here comes the restorer

I, like all my friends, take cats seriously. No museum can be considered respectable if this important theme is not reflected in its exposition. I was sure that the museum in Ghent would not disappoint, and so it turned out.

Philippe de Champagne, Dinner at Emmaus

Philippe de Champagne is a serious artist, he owns the famous triple portrait of Cardinal Richelieu, he approached it just as seriously important details in our picture.

The art of the 19th century is represented by pictures from the life of rural Flanders. The plots of the paintings are often not very optimistic and reflect the realities of that time.

Charles De Groux, Eviction

Another picture on this sad topic.

Joseph Geirnaert - Sale of property confiscated for non-payment of debts, 1835

Leon Frederic, Village Wake

Jan Frans Verhas, The Little Master, 1887

Alfred Stevens, Mary Magdalene (portrait of Sarah Bernhardt), 1887

Émile-René Ménard, Spring

Female portrait

Theodore Géricault, Kleptomaniac

Torajiro Kojima, Self Portrait (Nariwa, Japan 1881 - Okayama, Japan 1929)

Japanese impressionist painter interesting fate who worked extensively in Belgium and France

Several paintings by the Flemish Expressionists, I have a special relationship with them, it was about them that I wrote a lot in my journal. In Ghent, I finally had the opportunity to see their paintings with my own eyes.

Gustav de Smet, Good house(La Bonne Maison), it's not hard to guess what a nice house this is

Edgar Titgart, The Four Maidens

Jean Brusselmans, Attic, 1939

Ascetic furnishings, uncomplicated, utensils and simple forms, this is the whole of Jean Brusselmans. War is already breathing in the back, ahead of hunger, cold and suffering, which his wife could not endure.

We finish our tour near this pretty picture.

Paul Delvaux, Staircase

At a banquet in 1896, the mayor of Ghent, Baron Brown, promised the city the construction of a new museum building. The development of his plan was entrusted to the architect of the city, Charles van Reiselberge. The opening of the museum building took place in 1902 with the participation of Prince S. van Reiselberge. Albert and Princess Elisabeth on the occasion of their solemn entry into Ghent. The fully equipped museum was opened on May 9, 1904 by King Leopold II. During the First World War, the museum experienced many difficulties. Ghent was occupied by German troops. The museum was closed, as the German part was located in it, and was opened to visitors only in May 1921. After the outbreak of the Second World War, some of the collections were evacuated to Po, others were hidden in the crypt of the Cathedral of St.. Bavona, in the town hall and in the library of the university. Some of the works have disappeared without a trace. The museum building was again occupied by German troops. It took about ten post-war years to restore it to its original state.
A huge role in replenishing the museum collections was played by the Friends of the Museum society, organized on December 5, 1897; it was inspired by the major Belgian philanthropist Fernand Scribe. To avoid errors in assessing the quality of works and intrigues that may arise when buying works contemporary masters the society has established rules according to which it can purchase paintings by artists who have died at least thirty years ago, and necessarily two works a year. Money could be donated not only by members of society, but also by any citizens wishing to join the purchase of works.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the activities of the Society "Friends of the Museum" for the entire time of its existence until today. It was he who bought those masterpieces that make up the glory of the museum in Ghent: two works by I. Bosch, a sketch by Rubens "The Flagellation of Christ", a study of two heads of Jordans, portraits of Pourbus, Jan de Bry, "Jupiter and Antiope" by van Dyck, etc. .
Gifts and bequests have become a common way of replenishing the Ghent Museum. Among the donors, first of all, it is necessary to name Fernand Scribe, who bequeathed to the museum in 1913 his collection, which contained portraits of Tintoretto, Ravestein, Terborch, Géricault's "Portrait of a Madman", still lifes of Heda and Feit, landscapes of Corot and Daubigny.

The museum displays works of European art schools different eras, but perhaps most of all in it is modern Belgian painting. In addition to painting, there is a large section of graphics, in which an extensive collection of drawings is of particular interest. (more than four hundred) famous Belgian sculptor Georges Minnet. A whole room is devoted to his work. Separate room dedicated to the graphic works of the remarkable Belgian artist of the 20th century, Jules de Breaker.

The large hall of the museum is decorated with magnificent tapestries, five of which come from the castle of the Counts of Flanders and were made in 1717 by the Brussels master Urban Liniers.

The stories are taken from ancient mythology and represent Orpheus and the Muses, the triumph of Venus, Diana, Pallas Athena and Mars. Other tapestries depicting episodes from the life of the Persian king Darius were previously located in the abbey of St. Peter and created by P. van den Hecke, who lived in Brussels in late XVII century.

Museum fine arts(Ghent) owns a small but very valuable collection of Flemish, Italian and Spanish artists. In total, its exposition presents 250 paintings and several dozen sculptures.

The most famous are the works of Hieronymus Bosch, in particular, such masterpieces as "Carrying the Cross" and "Saint Jerome at Prayer" are shown here. Among other old masters, paintings by the Van Eyck brothers, Peter Paul Rubens, Hans Memling, Anthony van Dyck should be noted. In addition, in the Museum of Fine Arts (Ghent) you can see the works of expressionists and surrealists: Rene Magritte, Erich Haeckel, Ernest Ludwig Kirchner. In one of the halls there is a functioning restoration workshop, where each visitor can observe the mystery of the restoration of masterpieces. The museum has a documentation center and a library, audio guides are provided in 5 languages.

The museum itself is notable for being located in the building former church. From temple decorations, a portal with sculptures of angels has been preserved.

Museum of Fine Arts on the map

Type: Museums, galleries Address: Fernand Scribedreef 1, Citadelpark, 9000 Gent, Belgium‎. Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10.00-18.00, day off - Monday. Cost: 8 €, for persons over 65 years old - 6 €, for persons 19-26 years old - 2 €, for children under 19 years old, "friends" of the museum, accredited journalists and guides - free of charge; audio guide - 2.5 €. How to get there: take buses No. 34, 35, 36, 55, 57, 58, 65, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 78 to the Gent Ledeganckstraat stop. Website.

Belgium's first museum dedicated to contemporary art is housed in a building that once housed a casino. The museum has incorporated works of new trends in minimalism, conceptualism, pop art and arte povera.

By visiting this attraction, you will be able to observe unique creativity leader German postmodernism the genius of Joseph Beuys. He will surprise you with lead type and watercolor drawings, in style reminiscent of primitive rock paintings. Luc Tuymans will dedicate you to the eternal theme of evil and banality with his appeal to an ordinary table lamp and a gas chamber.

An avant-garde movement called "Cobra" will show you distorted figures of people and bright canvases with semi-abstractions. You will be able to visit the room of a native of Ghent, Maurice Maeterlinck, who became a laureate Nobel Prize in the field of literature and the author of a well-known philosophical parable.

Museum contemporary art does not stand still. It is constantly updated and hosts solo exhibitions, performances by young artists and international exchanges.

Museum of Fine Arts

Belgium is rich art museums, but at the same time, the Museum of Fine Arts of Ghent never ceases to amaze with the diversity and uniqueness of its many collections.

Every year, the museum arranges exhibitions that amaze with their breadth and originality.

The first collections of the museum appeared in the 18th century. This was due to the secularization of the property of churches. As a result, the city authorities took possession of valuable works of art, which began to be sold at auctions. In 1805, all collected collections were given to the Academy of Fine Arts, where they rested for a hundred years. In 1818, the French captured the treasures of Ghent, after which only 60 paintings were returned.

The museum has been collecting its unique precious collections for more than one century. The richest and most noble people bequeathed their gifts to him. Fernand Scriba donated to the treasury portraits of Ravestein, Tintoretto, Géricault: "Portrait of a Madman", still lifes of Feit and Heda, landscapes of Daubigny and Corot. But this place can please us not only with painting - here you can see tapestries and graphics by the famous genius sculptor Georges Minnet.

Ghent City Museum

The Ghent City Museum is located in historical building, which belonged to a Cistercian abbey in the 13th century. The museum has preserved frescoes dating back to the 14th century, as well as a dormitory with lamps.

The museum has several exhibition halls, each of which has its own history for visitors. One of the halls is a portrait room in which you can see images of Belgian kings and queens. Guests of the museum can see firsthand how the standards of beauty have changed in the world over the centuries. In other halls there are objects of art and textile industry, there is an exposition of ancient coins and ancient archaeological excavations. A separate room is occupied by a refectory.

Even more noteworthy modern technologies, which are embodied in "talking" screens, installations. However, the most striking picture of Ghent, taken from a bird's eye view and placed as a floor covering.

Museum of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts was created on the basis of the church, into which 250 works, hidden from the gaze of the occupiers, were transferred. The museum first opened its doors in November 1802. Three years later, all the valuables were placed in the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1818, they managed to return another 60 works that were stolen by the French.

From 1896 to 1902, work was underway to build a new building for the museum. The project was entrusted to one of the successful architects in Ghent. In May 1904, the Museum of Fine Arts was inaugurated in the presence of King Leopold. Soon the difficult war years began, the inhabitants of the city did their best to protect the collection of the museum, hiding the paintings in the library, town hall, monastery and cathedral. During the Second World War, the building was badly damaged, and the collection was almost completely plundered by the German military. Only by the end of the 20th century was it possible to reconstruct the museum building and replenish the previous collections.

It should be given credit, the exposition is rich in works by Belgian authors directly, as well as works by representatives from various European schools. Many undoubtedly come here to see the legendary work of Bosch "Christ Carrying the Cross", as well as works by Ensor, Haeckel, René Magritte, Kirchner and many others.


Attractions Ghent

Located in Ghent, the Museum of Fine Arts has long occupied a very strong position among major museums Belgium for the diversity and richness of its collections. Its first collection appeared in the 18th century, when many of the property from the church property became the property of the city. The richest collection belonged to the Jesuit order, which was dissolved by decree of 1773.

Priceless works

At that time, Belgium was part of the House of Habsburg and, by order of the Austrian authorities, part unique collection which was sent to Vienna. By order of Joseph II in 1783, another 13 religious societies were closed in Ghent, and all their property was transferred to city ​​treasury. Almost all works of art that were part of the property of religious organizations were sold under the hammer.

In 1792, French troops entered Ghent and the occupying authorities gave the order to send a large number treasures in Paris. For example, a part of the Ghent altar, made by Rubens and many others, was taken to the Louvre. The remaining two hundred works were collected within the walls of St. Peter's Church, which was opened to the general public in 1802. Three years later, the collection was moved to the Academy of Fine Arts, which was established in the former Augustinian monastery.

"Friends of the Museum"

The society, which was organized in 1897, played an important role in replenishing the museum collections. The main inspirer and ideological leader of the "Friends of the Museum" was the Belgian philanthropist Fernand Scribe. Thanks to the activities of this society, the museum acquired many of the outstanding works of art, such as Rubens's sketch of the Flagellation of Christ, Jan de Bry, Jupiter and Antiope, and others.

Today the museum presents works of various art schools in Europe from different eras. However, the bulk of the collections are works of modern Belgian painting. Also here you can see the graphics section, which presents the drawings of the Belgian sculptor Georges Minnet.

The large museum hall is decorated with luxurious tapestries, five of which belonged to Gravensteen Castle - one of the famous sights of Ghent. This is the only medieval castle whose defensive system has survived to this day in its original state.

Information for visitors to the Museum of Fine Arts

Address: Fernand Scribedreef 1, Gent, Belgium.

How to get there:

  • bus - No. 5, No. G7, No. G8, No. G9, No. 5 to the Gent Heuvelpoort stop or No. 34, No. 35, No. 36, No. 55, No. 57, No. 58, No. 70, No. 71, No. 72, No. 73 , No. 74, No. 76, No. 77, No. 78 to the stop Gent Ledeganckstraat.

Working hours:

  • Tuesday-Friday from 9:30 to 17:30;
  • Saturday-Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00;
  • Monday is a day off.

Prices:

  • adult ticket - 8 EUR;
  • for pensioners - 6 EUR;
  • for visitors under 26 years old - 2 EUR;
  • for visitors under 19 years old - free of charge.

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